Not Human
by sycoandcrazy.inc
Summary: Kaito had been told that Kurama wasn't human, but he was only beginning to grasp the true meaning behind those words. Written for Twi-Red-Ruxi.


Okie dokie, this one shot was written for Twi-Red-Ruxi for correctly catching a reference in the fanfic Assassin. By the way, if your a fan of Assassin, you should check out a pic that Twi-Red-Ruxi drew for it, it's really good. You can find a link to it on Syco and mine's profile.

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"A man like Sensui," Kurama said, clenching his fists by his side, "has no other loyalty except to himself and his cause." Kurama paused. "And he cares nothing for how much blood he sheds to reach that goal."

Kurama looked at Amanuma. "Not even the blood of an ignorant young boy who foolishly chose wrong over right."

Amanuma stood frozen as the reality of Kurama's words sunk in. He looked as though his world had come crashing down upon him. Kaito knew how the boy felt.

It hadn't been that long ago that Kaito and his friends had gone to Genkai for help with their powers. It had been even less time since Genkai had told them about the Spirit Detectives. Kaito had been surprised to learn that Kurama, or Shuichi as he had known him, wasn't human, but it hadn't changed the way Kaito thought about him. If anything, Kaito's respect for Kurama had grown, considering the trouble it would take to keep such a secret.

However, it was starting to occur to Kaito that he was only beginning to grasp what the phrase "not human" meant.

"Game start," a computerized voice said. "The player who clears the most blocks without filling them to the top wins the game."

They started playing. Kaito was filled with dread. His logical mind could see where this was going. But would Kurama really do this? Killing monsters was one thing, but Amanuma…he was only a kid who'd been manipulated by a psycho. Surely Amanuma didn't deserve to die. Surely Kurama couldn't kill him.

"You can go ahead and call me a dimwit," Yusuke said, "but let me just ask this stupid question. If Kurama's got this all figured out, why'd he tell the Gamemaster instead of keeping it to himself? And why'd he wait until it was too late to stop the round?"

Genkai didn't take her eyes off the players as she answered him. "Sensui had a strategic reason for not telling Amanuma he would die in real life if he died in the game. Young people are stupid about life and death. They think they're invincible; too young to die, so they're not consumed with the fear of it. That's why armies recruit teenagers. That's why Koenma recruited you."

"Hey, I resent that, I know I can die, 'cause I've done it once and lived to tell about it," Yusuke said, but there was no real resentment in his voice.

"I don't have time to show how you've proved my point," Genkai said. "Sensui didn't want the boy thinking of the possibility of death, however he counts on us to figure it out and think of nothing else. It fits into Sensui's pattern. Testing our moral limits, seeing if we will justify the kill."

"Well we won't, will we?" Yusuke asked.

Kaito almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Couldn't Yusuke see? That was the only way they'd get past this spot. The only hope that they could have of saving the world. One of them had to become a murderer.

Kurama would be a murderer.

"Kurama has. That's why he told the boy the truth, to make him weak," Genkai said. "It's a dirty trick, but Kurama knows what he must do."

What he must do…Logically, Kaito understood and accepted that. His heart disagreed. His heart said nothing could excuse this.

Kaito knew that if he were the one playing against Amanuma, he couldn't do it. He couldn't win knowing it would cost a child's life. Apparently Kurama could.

_It's necessary. If he doesn't die, everyone else in the world will! It has to be done._

_…He's just a child._

Not human. Those two little words meant so much more than Kaito could have dreamed. Not human.

"Hey, he just missed a pretty easy three seven," Yusuke said.

"Shuichi's under his skin," Kaito said. Then he wondered at his use of Kurama's human name. Kurama wasn't human. He wasn't Shuichi.

Amanuma was panicking. His mind was off in its own world. He was missing so many easy moves. It wouldn't be much longer.

"I'm not up on this game's strategy but that's the opposite of it right?" asked Yanagisawa.

"Yeah, that's bad," Yusuke said looking serious.

"The Goblin King's distracted himself," Kaito said.

Amanuma looked over at Kurama. "Please is there anything I can do to get out of this?" he asked. His hands were shaking. He missed another move and gasped. "Anything?" he begged.

"Is there not a way to shut down this territory and void your power?" Kurama asked without looking away from his screen.

"No, I've tried that," Amanuma said. "It's impossible to shut it down while the game's still in progress. Unless you choke at this game, there's no way out."

"I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen," Kurama said.

Tears filled Amanuma's eyes as he played. Kaito felt his heart twist. Why did it have to be like this?

"This isn't about choosing one life over another," Kurama said, almost as if in response to Kaito's thoughts. "You knew what Sensui's going to do. You can't say you aren't responsible for your own fate."

That was cold. Granted the boy had made some bad decisions, but he was still just a boy.

"But I didn't mean for this stuff to really happen," Amanuma said and his shoulders started to shake with held back sobs.

His hands froze on the consol. He wasn't able to make his body respond to his will, his fear paralyzed him so.

"I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die!" he cried tears pouring down his face.

The buzzer went off. Kaito adjusted his glasses, letting none of his emotions show on his face. It was over. Amanuma had lost.

"Game over! Hark and rejoice for the evil Goblin King is dead, and peace has been restored to the town."

Everyone was quiet, watching Kurama and Amanuma's body. Glancing around at the faces, Kaito came to a conclusion. Not one of them could have done it. None of them could have killed Amanuma. Well, perhaps Hiei would have been willing, but he wasn't human.

Not human.

The room started to shake. "The heck is that?" Yusuke asked. "I didn't know this game came with a rumble pack."

"Heads up boys!" Genkai yelled.

The room began exploding, and everyone was forced to dodge flying ruble. Everyone but Kurama, who just stood still.

When the room finally settled, they were all sprawled out on the floor. "Anybody else feel that, or was that just me?" Yusuke asked as he stood. He glanced around the now empty cavern. "Where did Goblin City go?"

"When Amanuma died his territory went with him," Genkai said walking past Yusuke.

"These territory things are messed up," he complained following Genkai.

"Heh, this is where your Goblin City went," Genkai said, stopping in front of a game system that was stationed by Kurama.

"His power must have been very great indeed for him to create such an elaborate illusion out of nothing," Kaito said as he and the rest of the group moved forward.

Hiei caught Kaito's attention when he walked over to Amanuma's body and stared down at it, and then looked at Kurama. Everyone else followed Hiei's gaze. Despite the explosions, Kurama hadn't moved an inch, nor had he said a word since his victory.

But was it really a victory?

Yusuke moved towards him. "Kurama, don't blame yourself." Then he stepped back looking startled, apparently forgetting whatever else he was going to say.

"I have no regrets, Yusuke," Kurama said looking up.

When Kaito saw Kurama's face, he understood why Yusuke had backed up. Such a hard, cold face. A face carved of stone.

Not human. Kurama wasn't human.

Kurama continued down the tunnel towards Sensui, never once looking back.

"I don't know what to do, I've never seen him like this before," Yusuke said.

"You two," Genkai snapped to Kaito and Yanagisawa. "We'll resume the original plan and go outside to guard."

"Yes," they said, nearly simultaneously.

Without any prompting, Kaito picked up Amanuma's body. He deserved better than to be left down here alone.

Kaito blinked back a tear that no one else could see. The boy was still warm.

They walked away, leaving the others to fight Sensui. Amanuma's weight in Kaito's arms was slight, but it was a weight Kaito would never forget. Amanuma had taught Kaito a lesson that Genkai's words hadn't been able to get through to him.

Kurama wasn't human.

Not human.

Such a small phrase that meant so much.


End file.
